The present invention relates to a plant for making tire carcasses for vehicle wheels, comprising a plurality of assembling drums capable of being moved along a predetermined assembling path; a plurality of primary work stations disposed consecutively in side by side relation along said assembling path and each designed to apply, around each individual assembling drum, a main component common to a plurality of carcass types included in a given production range. At least one auxiliary work station is disposed along said assembling path and designed to apply, around each individual assembling drum, at least a predetermined accessory component, intended for a specific one of said tire carcass types.
It is known that in making vehicle tires, for example for automobiles, the manufacture of a so-called carcass is first achieved by successively assembling several different components.
In this connection it is noted that generally the use of a given number of main components is provided which are common to all carcass types falling within a given production range. There are then accessory components each relating to a specific carcass type included in said range.
In other words, the different carcass types included in a production range can be distinguished from one another depending on the presence thereon of the various accessory components and/or the typology of the accessory components themselves.
By way of example, when carcasses for tubeless tires are to be produced, that is tires that in use do not require the presence of an inner tube, the main components can be considered to include a so-called "liner" that is a layer of elastomeric air-impervious material, a carcass ply, a pair of annular metal elements, commonly referred to as bead cores, around which the opposite ends of the carcass ply are folded, as well as a pair of side walls made of elastomeric material, extending over the carcass ply at laterally opposite positions. The accessory components may in turn comprise of one or more additional carcass plies, one or more reinforcing bands for overlying the carcass ply or plies at the areas turned up around the bead cores (chafer strips), and others.
In modern production processes the assembling of the different components is carried out in automated plants including a plurality of assembling drums moved following a precise working sequence in accordance with the manufacturing process to be executed. These plants consist of a plurality of work stations disposed consecutively in side by side relation, each of which lends itself to carry out the application of a predetermined component onto the assembling drums that in turn are brought in front of it.
In particular there are primary work stations intended for application of the main components, which are always active, irrespective of the carcass type being produced. Alternated with the various primary work stations there are one or more auxiliary work stations, intended for application of accessory components, if required. The activation or deactivation state of these auxiliary stations depends on the carcass type in progress of manufacture.